He was but just turned of nineteen, when happening to pass by the
playhouse one evening, he took it into his head to go in, and see the
last act of a very celebrated tragedy acted that night.--But it was
not the poet's or the player's art which so much engaged his
attention, as the numerous and gay assembly which filled every part of
the house.--He was in the back bench of one of the front boxes, from
which he had a full prospect of all who sat below:--but in throwing
his eyes around on every dazzling belle, he found none so agreeable to
him as a young lady who was placed in the next division of the
box:--her age did not seem to exceed his own, and tho' less splendid
in garb and jewels than several who sat near her, had something in her
eyes and air, that, in his opinion, at least, infinitely exceeded them
all.

When the curtain dropt, and every one was crowding out as fast they
could, he lost not sight of her; and finding when they came out to the
door, that she, and a companion she had with her, somewhat older than
herself, seemed distressed for chairs, which by reason of the great
concourse, seemed difficult to be got, he took the opportunity, in a
very polite manner, to offer himself for their protector, as he
perceived they had neither friend nor servant with them. They accepted
it with a great deal of seeming modesty, and he conducted them through
a passage belonging to the house which he knew was less thronged, and
thence put them into a hackney coach, having first obtained their
permission to attend them to their lodgings, or wherever else they
pleased to be set down.

When they arrived at the place to which they gave the coachman a
direction, he would have taken leave of them at the door; but they
joined in entreating him, that since he had been at the pains of